The role of NO₂ in the reduction of NO by hydrocarbon over Cu-ZrO₂ and Cu-ZSM-5 catalysts

The reduction of NO_x with propene or propane in the presence of 1 or 4% O₂ was studied at low conversions over a 7.4 wt% Cu-ZrO₂ and a 3.2 wt% Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst. The rates of N₂ production were compared in experiments using only NO or a mixture of NO and NO₂ in the feed. They were also compared with the rates of NO₂ reduction to NO under the same conditions, and of NO oxidation to NO₂ in the absence of hydrocarbon. It was found that the reduction of NO₂ to NO was very fast, consistent with literature data. The data were best explained by a reaction scheme in which the hydrocarbon was activated primarily by reaction with adsorbed NO₂ to form an adsorbed oxidized N-containing hydrocarbon intermediate, the reaction of which with NO was the principal route to produce N₂ under lean NO_x conditions.